Integration of Maqasid Al-Shariah and Thematic Exegesis in Understanding Modern Muamalah Verses

Abstract

The rapid development of the global economy has given rise to various forms of modern transactions that require comprehensive and methodologically grounded responses from Islamic law. This study aims to examine and develop an integrative model between Maqashid al-Shariah and thematic exegesis (tafsir maudhu‘i) as a methodological framework for understanding Qur’anic verses on muamalah that are relevant to contemporary economic practices, including digital financial instruments, technology-based contracts, and cross-jurisdictional transactions. The research employs a qualitative approach using a descriptive-analytical library research method. Data were collected through a review of literature on Qur’anic exegesis, usul al-fiqh, Maqashid al-Shariah, and Islamic economics, and were subsequently analyzed thematically and critically using content analysis techniques. The findings indicate that the integration of Maqashid al-Shariah and thematic exegesis produces a more holistic framework for ijtihad. Thematic exegesis systematically reconstructs the universal principles of muamalah, while Maqashid al-Shariah provides legal direction and objectives oriented toward the realization of public welfare (maslahah). The three-layer integrative model developed in this study generates five principles of modern muamalah: information transparency, distributive justice, protection of vulnerable parties, prohibition of structural exploitation, and economic-ecological sustainability. This study concludes that such integration constitutes a relevant, productive, and epistemologically robust instrument of ijtihad for the development of contemporary Islamic economic fatwas and regulatory frameworks.